Gustavo Badell has died at the age of 50. The former professional bodybuilder passed away on July 13th. A number of Badell’s colleagues from the bodybuilding industry confirmed the news; however, the cause of his death has not been confirmed yet.
The Venezuelan native started his career at the young age of 15 years. He went on to win several international competitions and got worldwide recognition with the nickname “the Freakin’ ‘Rican”. Read on to know more about his life and career.
Gustavo Badell Dies at 50
Badell’s friend and fitness personality Dave Palumbo was the first one to announce the news of his demise. He took to his YouTube channel Rx Muscle — The Truth in Bodybuilding to post a video mourning his friend’s passing and paying tribute to him.
Palumbo revealed that Badell could have died of a stroke, however, the report is not confirmed yet. As per sources, the bodybuilder had been facing some major health issues in the past few years, including a severe kidney ailment.
During his last days, Badell was residing in Orlando, Florida. He regularly used to post his throwback photos, flexing his muscles, on social media, where he enjoyed a following of more than 35k followers.
Badell Won Several Bodybuilding Contests in His Career
Born on November 3, 1972, in Venezuela, Badell got into bodybuilding in his teenage years and won the Junior Caribbean Championships in 1991. In 1997, he was declared the overall winner of the Caribbean Championships and was awarded a pro card.
Badell then continued his streak and participated in a number of competitions throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was ranked among the top 3 contestants at Mr. Olympia ’04 and ’05. He also made it to the top 10 positions in Southwest Pro Cup and Toronto Pro Invitational 2002 and was placed fourth at the Arnold Classic ’06 and ’07.
The fitness personality also competed in the Ironman Pro Invitational, Atlantic City Pro, San Francisco Pro Invitational, Show of Strength Pro Championship, Night of Champions, and World Pro Championships. His last event was the Arnold Classic in 2012, where he was ranked 13th.
Social Media Pays Tribute
A number of fans have taken to social media to express their grief over Badell’s demise. “You’ll always be there Gustavo. My condolences to his family and may God give them comfort and strength during this difficult time,” commented a fan.
“Rest In Peace champion !🙏 I had the honor to share the Olympia stage with you, we did a guest posing together here in Orlando in 2005. After years, you helped me pre contest to compete at Tampa Pro 2019. We trained together and, I will keep those memories for ever in my mind!” wrote a fellow bodybuilder.
Another fan wrote, “A loss like no other an idol a mentor a legend someone who left his legacy of much knowledge around the world sad very sad news.” One also tweeted, “Now Gustavo Badell, the best Hispanic bodybuilder in history, has died, it gives me a lot that two days ago I was watching an interview of his and now this happens.”
Our condolences to Gustavo Badell’s family and friends. May his soul rest in peace!
